Potential divider



L. KRS

POTENTIAL DIVIDER Original Filed May 25, 1929 A Homey.

Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original application May 23, 1929, Serial No. 365,324. Divided and this application April 21, 1933, Serial No. 667,154.

June 6, 1928 13 Claims.

The invention relates to a new potential divider suitable for deriving potentials of any value desired from current sources of any kind. It consists of two or more discharge gaps assembled in a valve, being provided with terminals at the connecting points. The discharge gaps are lled with gases and have electrodes of cold, heated or partly heated type respectively. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 365,324, filed May 23rd 1929, for connections for the anode circuits of thermionic tubes.

In the well known potential divider devices ohmic resistances are used for the division of the potential. The disadvantage of these latter devices is that the potential drop in the ohmic resistances depends upon the current intensity just passing the resistance, but, when the present invention is used, these disadvantages will not occur for the reason that the discharge gaps form nonohmic resistances, in which the product resulting from current intensity multiplied by resistance is approximately constant within practical limits. Therefore, it is possible to derive from such a circuit arrangement any potential lower than the potential of the current source, of any desired constant value. Should variations of charge occur in thefconsumer circuits, the potentials, contrary to potential dividers using ohmic resistances, will nevertheless remain constant, as will be described later,

In Fig. 1, a potential divider is shown in which all discharge gaps are connected in series to one another.

Fig. 2 shows a potential divider the discharge gaps of which are partly connected in parallel and partly in series with regard to the consumer.

With the potential divider shown in Fig. 1, using discharge gaps as non-ohmic conductors, the current source is connected to terminals I and 2. 25 is a pre-resistance or a choking coil. Four discharge gaps 3, 4, 5, 6, are available, all of which are connected in series to one another. Discharge gap 3 is formed by electrodes 1 and 8. Electrode 8, however, forms at the same time one of the electrodes for, discharge gap 4 lying between electrodes 8 and 9. The electrodes are used to take off the partial voltages. All electrodes are assembled in a common container III. The consumers are connected between terminals II, I2, I3, I4, I5. The total potential to be divided exists between terminals II and I5. A consumer I6 connected between terminals I2 and I5 obtains, however, a potential lower than the supply voltage, the potential connected to the total po- In Germany (Cl. Z50-27.5)

tential divider being reduced by the potential j drop of discharge gap 3. In the case of a consumer I1 being connected between terminals I3 and I5, the discharge gaps 3 and 4 are connected in series, so that the potential derived is still lower than the one taken off by consumer I6. Also another consumer 2l might be connected.

With diierent values between terminals II and I5 consumers may be connected in any desired combination. The value of the partial potential output depends upon the operating potentials of the individual discharge gaps.

Compared with the voltage dividers so far known, composed of ohmic resistances, the divider in accordance with my invention has the advantage, that the partial potentials taken out remain constant irrespective of load variations in the consumer circuit. The reason for this is that discharge gaps have the physical property of keeping practically constant their output terminal potentials independent of the current intensity which passes them. If, for instance consumer I1 is connected, the current intensity of which is subject to great variations, the consumers connected to points Il, I2, I3, and I4 on the one hand and I5 on the other will notwithstanding be supplied with practically unvarying potentials. If the load of consumer I'I is reduced, the excess current will be derived in parallel with it through discharge gaps 5 and 6 without in any way influencing the potentials oi the other points. rI'he same task is fuliilled for consumer I6 by discharge gaps 4, 5 and 6. So, gaps 5 and '6 function at the same time for the two consumers I6 I8 is connected 4.5` gaps I8, I9 and 2B, l

i. e. it has the same polarity for all three. Electrodes- 22, Z3, and 24 are opposing electrode 2l, but at various distances, so that various potentials can be taken off.

Should, with this arrangement, the load of consumer I5 vary, the excess current intensity would be derived over discharge gap I8, but, the potential on discharge gap I8 and consequently on the total voltage divider will remain constant.

Electrode 25 in the potential divider Fig. 1 is heated by filament 26, by a current supplied from the current source connected to terminal 28. It is intended to show by this arrangement that any method can be used for supplying filament current to this electrode or any number of electrodes of the potential divider. The heating is such that it reduces the cathode fall, that is the potential drop between the electrodes, and consequently permits a regulation of the potential drop by variation of the heating value. Beyond that, there is the advantage that a discharge gap with heated electrodes is smaller in size for a given load.

A potential divider in accordance with the present invention permits its proper connection without the help of measuring instruments. For instance with small loads on the potential divider it is suicient to bring to ignition discharge gap 6 or i8 respectively with the help of a resistance inserted in the current source circuit. In order to facilitate the differentiation of the discharge gap of the potential divider, and especially with a View to being able tomake observations without being troubled by the luminous effect of the other valves, the vessel of the potential divider is only partially transparent, as indicated in the drawing by hatching.

What I claim is:

1. A potential divider comprising a common container, three electrodes therein forming discrete discharge gaps, one of said electrodes being larger than the others and cooperating with each one of the smaller electrodes.

2. A potential divider according to claim 1 and in which the small electrodes are at varying distances from the large electrode.

3. A potential divider comprising a common container, a plurality of electrodes therein forming a succession of series interconnected discharge paths of substantially constant potential drop.

4. An electric discharge device for dividing direct current potential, comprising a container, a gas lling therein, a plurality of electrodes in the container parallel to one another and one behind the other and forming discrete discharge paths from the first to the second electrode and from the second to the third electrode.

5. An electric discharge device for dividing direct current potential, comprising a container, a gas lling therein, a plurality of cold electrodes in the container forming a succession of series interconnected discharge paths. I 6. An electric discharge device for dividing direct current potential, comprising a container, a gas filling therein and a plurality of electrodes one behind the other in the container forming discrete series interconnected cathode drops from the i'lrst to the second electrode and from the second to the third electrode.

'7. An electric discharge device for dividing direct current potential comprising a container, a gas lling therein, a plurality of cold electrodes in the container parallel to one another and one behind the other and forming discrete discharge paths from the rst to the second electrode and from the second to the third electrode.

8. An electric discharge device for dividing direct current potential, comprising a container, a gas lling therein, a plurality of electrodes in the container representing anode and cathode elements, said electrodes being disposed in spaced relation to one another and one behind the other and forming a plurality of separate and discrete series interconnected glow discharge paths from the rst to the second electrode and from the second to the third electrode and so on, whereby electric current admitted to said first electrode will produce a separate electric discharge to the second electrode, whereupon a separate discharge will take place from the second to the third electrode and so on, whereby constant potential drops are produced.

9. A glow discharge potential divider comprising a container, a large electrode and a plurality of smaller electrodes disposed inside the container and forming discrete glow discharge gaps, the said large electrode cooperating with each one of the smaller electrodes.

l0. The device claimed in claim 9, in which the smaller electrodes are at varying distances from the large electrode and laterally oir-set with re` spect to one another.

11. The device claimed in claim 9, in which the smaller electrodes are disposed within the reach and expanse of the said large electrode.

l2. A glow discharge potential divider comprising a container, a gas filling therein, a current inlet terminal, electrodic means connected to said terminal, a plurality of electrodes, said electrodic means and said electrodes being disposed inside said container and forming a plurality of discrete glow discharge gaps, each of said electrodes being smaller than the said electrodic means, the latter cooperating with each of said electrodes.

13. A glow discharge potential divider comprising a container, a gas filling therein, a current inlet terminal, electrodic means connected to said terminal, a plurality of electrodes in the container, a current outlet terminal, one of said electrodes being connected to said current outlet terminal, said electrodic means and said electrode connected to said current outlet terminal being disposed in spaced relation with respect to each other and forming a discrete glow discharge gap, each of the remaining electrodes being disposed in spaced relation with respect to the said V electrodic means and any other electrode, each of said remaining electrodes forming a discrete glow discharge gap with the said electrodic means, Y

the latter cooperating with all electrodes, the different glow discharge gaps formed in said container being removed from one another and each discharge gap lying entirely outside the range and space occupied by any other discharge gap; further, tapping means connected to each electrode except the said electrode connected to the current outlet terminal, said tapping means serving for connection to current consuming means and said inlet and outlet terminals serving for connection to a current source.

LszL KRs. 

